In precarious fiscal times, Mayor Thomas Richards and his budget team have stitched together a sensible 2013-14 spending plan that's 2 percent smaller than last year, and that has proven drama-free on the whole.

With a series of public hearings — and a compromise on the minor yet contentious matter of mounted police — behind them, City Council should give Richards' budget plan their approval at tonight's meeting.

As real-time budget tinkering becomes necessary moving forward, however, City Hall's actions should be informed by the continued input of citizens and stakeholder groups.

One such entity, The Children's Agenda, last week released a noteworthy analysis of the mayor's budget suggesting, among other things, that future budgets include "children's impact statements" estimating how funding adjustments would affect the city's most vulnerable constituency. This warrants serious consideration.

While the juxtaposition of ballooning public safety costs and dwindling funds for the Department of Recreation and Youth Services is troublesome to TCA, Mayor Richards seems to have struck an appropriate balance for next fiscal year.

This year's flare-up in gang violence has claimed too dear a toll to not quickly dispatch resources needed to stifle the bloodshed. And the city says the 40 percent drop in DRYS funding since 2005-06 is explained largely by re-organization.

Too, Richards is wisely investing in recreation centers, after-school programs and Pathways to Peace to meet a surging need.

It's a welcome sign that Richards has commissioned a study (due next month) to evaluate coordination between DRYS and the City School District. This era of lean budgeting calls for such methodical review.

With notoriously high child poverty, a flailing public school system and crime that paralyzes neighborhoods, it's no secret that this community can do better by its children. Collaboration is key to meeting this end.